Contract

Rights", the "Spirit of Laws", and the "Social Contract Theory" come from Europe, it is seen all over the world. It all started with John Locke's and Rousseau's ideas about the "Social Contract Theory". This theory states that all individuals have basic human rights that the government can not take away or hinder. A social contract in itself is an agreement of certain undeniable beliefs and rights between the people and their government. As all contracts are there is a…

Carole Pateman’s The Sexual Contract digs deep into contract theory and the issues that arise from relationships created by contract. Pateman hones her focus on the slavery, marriage, employment, prostitution contracts. The main issue at stake is that “the original contract is a social-sexual pact.” (1) The simultaneous inclusion and exclusion of women from civil society lays in the suppression of the sexual contract. Political right becomes “patriarchal or [male] sex-right.” (1) Through…

equality and freedom from oppressive government. Yet, in The Second Treatise on Civil Government, Locke justifies the colonization and disempowerment of Native Americans and Africans in his discussions of freedom, property and slavery. In The Racial Contract, Charles W. Mills exposes the contradictions in Locke’s political and theoretical thought, particularly his deviation from the law of nature when it came to non-European people of color. According to John Locke the “State of Nature” is a…

American government benefits from the exploitation and miseducation of it’s citizens as it relates to health. What the government does to hide the truth about food, sugar, and its relation to obesity is in direct violation of the Social Contract Theory. The Social Contract Theory argues that people should put their self-interest behind them and make decisions that benefit everyone rather than just make them better off. Corporations go to extreme lengths to make themselves better off rather than…

Social Contract Theory: Stranded after an airplane crash. The Social Contract Theory states “We are all by nature largely, or entirely, self-interested. What we want is power over others, physical security, plenty of money and sensual pleasure.” (pg. 194). However, not everyone can be on the top of the heap. Therefore, if we are rational, we will each agree to curb our self-interest and cooperate with one another. (pg. 194) In the scenario given, we have two options. Take control or enter…

such a condition, every man has a Right to every thing; even to one anothers body. And therefore, as long as this natural Right of every man to everything endureth, there can be no security by any man,” (Hobbes, 190). Therefore the need for a social contract theory, in this theory, men are naturally self-interested; furthermore, rational, thus choosing to submit to the political authority (i.e. the Sovereign) in order to live peacefully in a civil society. Hobbes emphasizes a universal freedom;…

Social Contract Theory and the Motive to Be Moral One idea that we encounter on a daily basis, is morality. There are many reasons and theories of morality and everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and beliefs. I will be discussing the Social Contract Theory. The Social Contract Theory, is “as old as philosophy itself” (IEP, para 1). The concept of this theory is that a group of people come together and agree on terms which they must follow. In doing so, each person must give up his or…

2b) Hobbes' social contract hypothesis serves twofold obligation: as a political hypothesis that legitimizes the presence of an administration and an ethical hypothesis that determines our ethical commitments. As a political hypothesis, Hobbes' social contract hypothesis keeps up that legislatures are the manifestations of individuals, and not the manifestations of God. The total avocation for an administration's presence is its part as preserver of the peace. In any case, despite the fact that…

social contract, which is agreed upon by the majority of the citizens is based on the general will of the people, that aims for the common good of each individual in the state. It aims at structuring the state, so that people can live in a civilized society as well as pleasing each individual. However it also intends to create rules and laws, which construct a safe and secure environment for the citizens of the said state. Thus it is based on laws rather than power. Being a part of this contract…

discussion, and in doing so bring up some contrasting ideas concerning human nature and "the social contract." What is the "social contract," some may ask. It is not so much a concrete principle or tangible piece of paper as an idea or a theory, introduced by Hobbes and Locke in such a way as the agreement that we make when we ask to be governed; or ask for governance. To further understand the social contract theory, you must start by analyzing how humans act towards one another in a…